To Each His Own (1946)
[6] Olivia de Havilland won her first Oscar for this sudsy soap opera about a woman who gives up her infant son and spends the rest of her life trying to reconnect with him. The melodrama may be an acquired…
Cousin Bette (1998)
[6] Jessica Lange and Elisabeth Shue star in this darkly comedic period piece about a bitter seamstress (Lange) who plots to ruin the lives of her late sister's husband and daughter after they refuse to accept her into their wealthy…
An American in Paris (1951)
[4] Near the end of both Singin' in the Rain and An American in Paris, there is a big, epic dance number that feels very out of place. It's the only thing I don't like about Singin' in the Rain,…
Murphy’s Romance (1985)
[6] Sally Field and James Garner star in this story of a divorced mother who moves to a small town and tries to open a successful horse ranch. She quickly befriends the town pharmacist (Garner) and the two strike up…
Dracula (1979)
[6] You'll find immense, beautifully dressed sets and breathtaking oceanside locations in the 1979 Dracula. You'll also hear a richly romantic John Williams score. These elements go a long way in creating a mood and atmosphere that are more lush…
An Affair to Remember (1957)
[6] Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet aboard an oceanliner and fall in love, despite the fact they are both already in relationships with partners waiting for them stateside. I like the first half of An Affair to Remember. Grant…
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
[7] Nicole Kidman and Robert Downey Jr. star in this odd hybrid of biopic and fable that mixes elements from the lives of photographer Diane Arbus and a hirsute freakshow performer named Lionel. Kidman plays Arbus, a woman who in the…
Adore (2013)
[7] Naomi Watts and Robin Wright play childhood friends who grew up together and are practically inseparable, even in their 40s. Their young adult sons, played by Xavier Samuel (The Loved Ones) and James Frecheville, are also best friends. The…
Splendor (1999)
[5] A young woman (Kathleen Robertson) starts dating two different men, a writer and a drummer (Johnathon Schaech and Matt Keeslar), and can't give one up, so she invites them to be a threesome. And it works until she falls…
Quid Pro Quo (2008)
[6] Nick Stahl (Carnivale, Terminator 3) and Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Conjuring) star in this intimate, slightly bizarre character drama from writer/director Carlos Brooks. Stahl plays a wheelchair-bound New York City radio reporter researching a subculture of "paraplegic…